Nursing Case Scenario

Nursing Case Scenario

Introduction

This paper intends to discuss a nursing case scenario. Two different scenarios are provided in the paper and are followed by three relevant questions. The first scenario is related to an emergency department and its nurse manager whereas the second scenario is related to policy making and governance models. The purpose of this paper is to provide in depth responses to the scenarios.

Scenario One

Nancy is the emergency department nurse manager. For the past 2 years there have been a high turnover rate and poor morale in the department. When Nancy asks nurses who are resigning their reasons for leaving, many of them said that they “feel powerless.”

Question One

What issues could be present in a unit that would create feelings of powerlessness among the staff?

Answer

The most important issue that creates the feelings of being powerlessness among the staff is the authoritative attitude of Nancy. Nancy utilizes the autocratic and dominant style of managing which creates the frustration in its staff. When the manager makes all the decisions unilaterally without caring about the subordinates is the autocratic style of management. The results of such management style only reflect the opinions of the mangers. Autocratic managers do not know the art of delegating (Harris, 2004). Such managers prefer to do everything on their own and become chaotic at the end of the day. The autocratic managers closely supervise the work of subordinates. Nancy has been utilizing the autocratic style of management which makes the staff feel that they are powerless. Nancy essentially lacks the capability to delegate and she keeps on pinching the nurses to complete their tasks. The attitude of Nancy towards its staff had made it extremely difficult for nurses to cope up in such working environment. Therefore, the department is witnessing a high turnover and poor morale.

Question Two

What are some of the sources of power that might be found?

Answer

There are various sources of power in managing en entire nursing department. The nursing manager needs to delegate the authorities to subordinate nurses. Taking routine patient details, checking their histories and making relevant decisions are some of the most important examples. Also, the source of power that can be found in managing the nursing department is the setting of nursing shifts. Nancy must have been extremely rigid and strict towards managing the routine of the nurses and not allowing the nurses to become flexible and work with their ease. Nancy needs to realize that she is running a department which deals with treating the patients. Therefore, the subordinates of Nancy must be happy and satisfied with their routines. Only if the nurses are happy and satisfied with their working environment then they can provide effective and quality health care to the patients. Nancy need to use the underlying sources of power efficiently to make the nurses satisfied and motivated to perform their tasks efficiently.

Question Three

How might Nancy encourage the staff to become empowered as well as defuse some of the behaviors of ...